MLB’s biggest stars showcased their slugging abilities in a tremendous game on Monday night.

The New York Yankees three-time MVP Aaron Judge and the Los Angeles Angels’ three-time MVP Mike Trout teed off on opposing pitchers during their matchup in the Bronx. Judge and Trout each hit two home runs in the duel, which ended with a Yankees 11-10 victory.

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New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge celebrates with designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels in New York on April 13, 2026. (Yuki Iwamura/AP)

MLB researcher Sarah Langs relayed the history the two players made.

She wrote on X that it was the fourth time in MLB history in which two players, who have won multiple MVPs at the time of the game, hit at least two home runs each. She added that Judge and Trout joined Roy Campanell and Stan Musial, who did it in June 1956, and Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle, who did it twice in July 1962.

It was also the second time a pair of already three-time MVPs homered twice in the same game, according to STATS Perform.

Judge hit his first home run in the first inning off Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi. His second home run came in the sixth inning off reliever Shaun Anderson. He finished the game 2-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. He has six home runs on the year.

CODY BELLINGER’S ACROBATIC CATCH STUNS FANS AS YANKEES WIN HOME OPENER OVER MARLINS

Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels celebrates with third base coach Keith Johnson after hitting a three-run home run during the sixth inning against the New York Yankees on April 13, 2026, in New York. (Yuki Iwamura/AP)

Trout’s first dinger didn’t come until the sixth inning – off Yankees reliever Jake Bird. The second came in the eighth inning off Camilo Doval. The eighth inning dinger put the Angels out in front 10-8 at the time.

New York stormed back in the ninth when Trent Grisham hit a two-run home run to tie the game. Jose Caballero later scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch.

Trout and Judge both marveled at their accomplishments after the game.

“It was great. That’s baseball for you,” Trout said. “It’s what fans want, and to be able to see something like that, pretty cool.”

Judge joked he was going to trash talk Trout when he hit one to the warning track earlier in the game, but couldn’t say nothing after Trout smacked two homers later.

New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge hits a home run during the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Angels in New York on April 13, 2026. (Yuki Iwamura/AP)

“I was going to talk some smack to him after the one he hit all the way to the warning track,” Judge said, “but I didn’t get a chance to and then he answers right back with two big homers for him. You put that guy in a clutch situation, a big moment and he’s going to show up every single time, so it’s fun going back and forth with a guy like that, especially in New York and the Bronx.”

Judge had high praise for Trout, who has been at the top of baseball since he entered the league, though he has dealt with injuries for much of his career.

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“He’s the greatest of all time. It’s been fun to watch his whole career, coming up at such a young age and instantly just putting yourself at the top of the list. It’s special,” Judge said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Jake Bird’s tumultuous time with the Yankees hit another bump Monday night, as the right-hander gave up a three-run homer to Mike Trout and was then optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre following an 11-10 win over the Angels in The Bronx.

Bird, who struggled after being acquired from Colorado prior to last year’s trade deadline, got off to a promising start this season, with four straight scoreless appearances.

But he gave up three runs in a loss to Miami on April 5 and then allowed the first homer by a Yankees reliever this season when Trout took him deep to tie the game in the sixth.

Boone said the Yankees were “a little short” in the bullpen Monday, as they planned on staying away from Brent Headrick and Ryan Yarbrough.

“It was a tough night for him, but I thought he made a lot of really good pitches,” Boone said. “A couple of mistakes they really put charges into to get back in the game. He had a hard time finishing off a couple of at-bats.”

Camilo Doval also allowed a homer to Trout, as the Yankees look to get him to be a consistent setup man for David Bednar.

Anthony Volpe was cleared to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday.

Boone said Volpe likely would play four games this week for Double-A Somerset. In his first couple of games, Volpe would play just three to five innings as the Yankees build him up “kind of like spring training,” Boone said.

After the week, the Yankees would reassess Volpe, who is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.

Cade Winquest, the Rule 5 draft pick who did not appear in a game before he was designated for assignment, was officially returned to the Cardinals. … Facing a lefty in Yusei Kikuchi, Boone opted to start Paul Goldschmidt at first and sit Ben Rice, who is trying to prove he can hit southpaws but began this year with a .522 OPS against lefties and 1.431 against righties.

Boone also stuck with Randal Grichuk in left field. A lefty killer in recent years, Grichuk began this season 0-for-12 with six strikeouts.

“Erratic playing time,” Boone said. “What’s he got nine at-bats, 10 at-bats? He’s swung through some pitches. He’s also smoked a ball up the middle that they made a great play on. He’s hit a ball to the wall in center.

“He’s a good hitter.”

The New York Yankees started the 2026 season hot, winning their first eight out of 10 games, but since last Tuesday, the bats have gone ice-cold.

The Yankees lost a series to the Athletics and then were swept by the Tampa Bay Rays in a series over the weekend.

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New York Yankees Aaron Judge heads to the dugout after striking out during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla., on April 11, 2026. (Jason Behnken/AP)

Aaron Judge put the team’s offensive struggles on notice after a 5-4 loss on Sunday.

“We need to simplify some things at the plate,” Judge told reporters via MLB.com. “We’re trying to hit every single pitch we see up there and getting ourselves in some bad counts and bad situations. As a group, if we simplify our approach a little bit, hunt the pitch that we’re looking for and pass the baton, I think we’ll be in a better spot.”

Judge has also been lethargic at the plate as he’s coming off three American League MVP awards in the last four seasons and some time with Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.

New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge hits a two-run home run during the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla., on April 12, 2026. (Jason Behnken/AP)

CODY BELLINGER’S ACROBATIC CATCH STUNS FANS AS YANKEES WIN HOME OPENER OVER MARLINS

Through 15 games, Judge is only hitting .218 with four home runs, nine RBI and a double. He was 2-for-10 against the Rays, despite a two-run homer on Sunday.

It was the Rays’ first three-game sweep of the Yankees since 2021.

“We didn’t get a lot of traffic when we needed to in this series,” Judge added. “We had one hit for the majority of the game, and a couple of these games. I think if guys take their walks when they need to and focus on a pitch they can drive, we’ll be in a better spot.”

New York is now 8-7 this season and in a three-way tie for the American League East division lead.

New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge strikes out during the fifth inning against the Athletics in New York on April 8, 2026. (Heather Khalifa/AP)

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The Yankees return home Monday for a seven-game home stand. The team will welcome the Los Angeles Angels for four games and then turn their attention to the Kansas City Royals.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Cam Schlittler looked slightly more human Tuesday than he had in his first two starts of the season.

And while that meant giving up his first runs of the year, he was still solid enough to keep the Yankees in it before they came back to pull out a 5-3 win over the Athletics on a chilly night in The Bronx.

After starting the season with 13 ²/₃ straight scoreless innings, Schlittler gave up three runs on four hits in the third inning against the A’s.

“I think overall it was pretty good, but just one mistake there in the third and it cost me three runs,” Schlittler said.

The rally began with Max Muncy’s infield single on a dribbler down the third base line with Amed Rosario playing back.

Ex-Met Jeff McNeil then roped a single to right field before Denzel Clarke moved the runners to second and third on a sacrifice bunt with two strikes.

Schlittler then left a fastball over the plate to Nick Kurtz, who smoked it for a double to the gap to drive in both runs for the 2-1 lead. One out later, Tyler Soderstrom added on with a double of his own down the right field line to make it 3-1.

“Not quite as dominant as his first two [starts], obviously,” manager Aaron Boone said. “You kind of think he’s just going to roll out there for seven innings and 75 pitches and strike everyone out. You realize it’s not that easy. He had some longer at-bats tonight where he just wasn’t quite as sharp with his command.”

Schlittler, who still has yet to walk a batter this season, struck out seven while throwing 84 pitches as he continued to finish off his buildup after a back issue delayed him briefly in the spring.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. twisted his left ankle when his cleat got caught as he flew out to center field in the eighth inning.

The second baseman was hobbling a bit and a little sore, but remained in the game for the top of the ninth.

Gerrit Cole threw live batting practice Monday, and if everything goes well in his recovery this week, he is scheduled to pitch again Sunday as he continues his rehab from Tommy John surgery.

“We’ll see if that’s a live or a game setting, I’m not sure yet,” Boone said.

Boone did not know whether that “game setting” could potentially mean the start of a rehab assignment.

Throughout his comeback, Cole has stuck to a 14- to 18-month timeline for a return, meaning mid-May is the earliest he would be back on a big league mound.

Pitchers get a 30-day clock on a rehab assignment, though that can also be extended for those coming back from Tommy John.

Through the first 10 games, Rule 5 pick Cade Winquest has yet to appear.

He warmed up in the top of the eighth Tuesday, when the Yankees trailed 3-1 but never got in after they rallied, still waiting to make his MLB debut.

“There’s been a couple games that he’s almost been in,” Boone said. “With the off-days, for the most part, we’ve been dealing on most days with a fairly full pen, with the exception of a couple days where we’ve been real short. Situation’s got to present itself, though. … He’s ready to go when that opportunity comes.”

— Additional reporting by Dan Martin

Baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson criticized War Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday over the decision to shake up leadership amid the ongoing military operation in Iran.

Hegseth asked Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George to step down and take immediate retirement on Thursday.  A senior War Department official told Fox News that Hegseth called George and asked for his immediate retirement, saying, “It was time for a leadership change in the Army.”

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks to members of the media during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Gen. David Hodne, who led the U.S. Army’s Transformation and Training Command, and Maj. Gen. William Green, the head of the Army’s Chaplain Corps, were also ousted, according to Reuters.

The former New York Yankees star was critical of the moves.

“What’s happening with our Sec of Defense. How do we get rid of all that experience at this time? Help me I don’t get it. Getting rid of The Chaplin (sic) leader?” Jackson wrote on X.

KNICKS BROADCASTER’S JOKE COMPARING BULLS’ ‘OBLITERATED’ DEFENSE TO IRAN LEAVES PARTNER STUNNED

New York Yankees special advisor Reggie Jackson bats during practice before a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pa., on June 25, 2018. (Eric Hartline/USA TODAY Sports)

“What? We’ve got a war going on and we’re getting rid of most of our experience and knowledge built with uniform time.”

War Department chief spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed George’s move in a post on X.

“General Randy A. George will be retiring from his position as the 41st Chief of Staff of the Army effective immediately,” he wrote. “The Department of War is grateful for General George’s decades of service to our nation. We wish him well in his retirement.”

Hegseth announced last month changes to military “faith codes” as he began to overhaul the Pentagon Chaplain corps. He vowed that more changes would be coming.

Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson is introduced during the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, N.Y., on July 27, 2025. (Gregory Fisher/Imagn Images)

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Fox News’ Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.

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Gold Glove-winning outfielder Cody Bellinger made a compelling case for catch of the year in the New York Yankees’ home opener against the Miami Marlins on Friday.

The highlight-reel grab came in the ninth inning on a deep drive by Marlins infielder Xavier Edwards.

New York Yankees’ Cody Bellinger gestures after hitting a double during the fifth inning of the home opener against the Miami Marlins in New York on April 3, 2026. (Yuki Iwamura/AP)

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Bellinger sprinted 62 feet and tracked the ball well but misjudged it at the last moment, and it glanced off his wrist. Mid-jump, he swung his arm around and snagged the ball at around knee level. 

Fans at Yankee Stadium erupted as Bellinger looked at his glove in disbelief, but the former Los Angeles Dodgers star wouldn’t call the acrobatic save his smartest play.

New York Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger catches a fly ball hit by Miami Marlins’ Xavier Edwards during the ninth inning of the home opener in New York on April 3, 2026. (Yuki Iwamura/AP)

DEMOCRAT GOVERNOR AND MAYOR BOOED AT RED SOX HOME OPENER

“I should have caught it the first time,” he said, adding that he “squeezed” his glove too early.

“I definitely got lucky. Threw my glove out there.”

The Yankees are off to their second 6-1 start in three seasons after Aaron Judge hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the first inning to help the team secure an 8-2 win over the Marlins in the Bronx. 

Trent Grisham, Cody Bellinger and Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees celebrate after defeating the Miami Marlins at Yankee Stadium in New York on April 3, 2026. (Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos)

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Miami entered the game at 5-1, matching its franchise-best start.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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George Steinbrenner, for better or worse, stepped in as the face of the New York Yankees franchise when he led a group with E. Michael Burke and others to buy the franchise from CBS in 1973. It would be the launching pad to return the Yankees to relevancy in the years to come.

However, Mike Vaccaro wrote in his new book, “The Bosses of the Bronx,” that the Steinbrenner group wasn’t thought to have been the favorite to buy the team. Vaccaro wrote that a Lehman Brothers-led contingent with former New York Giants catcher Herman Franks set to run the team.

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New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner signs autographs in the stands during a 1993 spring training game at West Palm Beach Municipal Stadium. (USA TODAY Sports)

Franks had already been courting Willie Mays as the team’s potential manager, according to Vaccaro. Mays would have been the first African American manager if the deal would have been made. He would have been a season ahead of Frank Robinson, who made his debut in the role on Oct. 3, 1974.

There were also rumblings, according to Vaccaro, about the team possibly being courted to a new stadium in New Jersey that would have had a fresh look compared to the crumbling Yankee Stadium that was hoping for city funding to make integral repairs.

Stunningly enough, the Steinbrenner group bought the Yankees for just over $10 million when the Lehman Brothers’ group reportedly offered between $13.5 million and $14 million. It was the last time as baseball team was ever sold at a loss.

New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner signs autographs before their game with the Florida Marlins at Dolphin Stadium on June 14, 1997. (USA TODAY Sports)

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“This is the best buy in sports today. I think it’s a bargain,” Steinbrenner said at his introductory press conference, Vaccaro’s book recalled.

Steinbrenner made clear that the Yankees would stay in New York and not be swayed with a shiny new stadium in the Meadowlands where the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets would go on to play. Vaccaro wrote that Lehman Brothers “absolutely committed” to leaving the Bronx for Jersey, which turned out to be a “deal-breaker” for CBS.

The net purchase for the Yankees ended up being about $8.8 million as the deal included two parking garages that CBS bought back for $1.2 million after the deal was closed.

Yankees manager Joe Torre (left) and owner George Steinbrenner talk before the start of the third game of the World Series at Shea Stadium in New York on Oct. 24, 2000.  (Eileen Blass/USA TODAY/USA TODAY NETWORK)

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From 1973 until Steinbrenner’s death in July 2010, the Yankees won seven World Series titles.

The Yankees are valued at approximately $9 billion today.

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New York Yankees shortstop José Caballero made MLB history Wednesday: He became the first player to use the Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS).

During the fourth inning of the Yankees’ 7-0 Opening Day win over the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park, Caballero challenged home plate umpire Bill Miller’s strike call after Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb threw a sinker at the top of the zone.

Caballero, 29, tapped his head to initiate the challenge and appeal the strike call, but lost the challenge. The 12 Hawk-Eye cameras of the Automated Ball-Strike System displayed that Webb’s 90.7 mph sinker was in the zone.

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José Caballero (72) of the New York Yankees runs to first after hitting a one-run double in the second inning during the game between the New York Yankees and the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California, on March 25, 2026. (Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Despite losing the challenge, he had conviction in his decision.

“Nope, I wanted to go for it,” Caballero said.

Caballero thought it was a little higher than what was shown, but he is a fan of the ABS system despite his unsuccessful appeal.

“I think it’s really good, keep everyone accountable,” he added. “It gives us a chance to really see how good (we are) with the zone or not. I wish it was the other way around, I’m trying to get the overturn call but this time I didn’t.”

BASEBALL HALL OF FAME PITCHER GOES IN DEPTH HOW ABS SYSTEM WILL IMPROVE OFFENSE, HOW ARMS HAVE TO ADJUST

Jazz Chisholm Jr., left, and José Caballero, right, of the New York Yankees are congratulated by Austin Wells (28) after both scored on Ryan McMahon’s two-run single against the San Francisco Giants during the second inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, California, on March 25, 2026. (Jeff Chiu/AP Photo)

Caballero’s challenge was the lone one of the game. The Yankees were up 5-0 at the time of the challenge.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he has tried to be direct with the feedback he has given to players regarding their challenges.

“We’ve had a lot of dialogue at it. It’s something that we’ve poured a lot into, I’ve certainly,” Boone said. “It’s become one of the things I’ve kind of tried to lead the charge on a little bit. Another kind of end-of-spring meeting with all the position players and catchers at the end just kind of running through different ones that came up and give my feedback on it. I’ve been very direct with them during spring as far as after the fact if I thought one was really good or conversely if one was terrible.”

“I’ve tried to be real direct with them and why,” he said. “I feel like we’re going to be good at it, that’s the expectation. I’m sure we’ll continue to evolve with it.”

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New York Yankees shortstop José Caballero (72) throws the ball to first to record an out against the San Francisco Giants in the ninth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California, on March 25, 2026. (Cary Edmondson/Imagn Images)

Teams are given two challenges a game, but if they successfully challenge a call, they retain it. But if the challenge is unsuccessful, you lose it. So, the Yankees were down to one challenge for the rest of game after Caballero’s unsuccessful attempt in the fourth inning.

Caballero, who went 1 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored, drove in the first run of the 2026 MLB season with a single that scored Giancarlo Stanton in the second inning.

The Yankees (1-0) will look to continue their hot start when they take on the Giants (0-1) on Friday at 4:35 p.m. ET.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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SAN FRANCISCO — Baseball’s new reality has arrived.

Blink, and you’d miss it.

The Giants came out on the winning side of the first Automated Balls and Strikes (ABS) challenged pitch in MLB history.

Giants starter Logan Webb dotted the upper outside corner to the first Yankee to bat in the top of the fourth inning Wednesday night, and home plate umpire Bill Miller ruled the pitch a strike.

The batter, Jose Caballero, tapped the top of his helmet. He wanted to challenge the call that put him down 0-2 in the count.

The process was over in a matter of seconds. Call confirmed.

The result was about the only thing that went in the Giants favor early on in the opening game of the MLB season. Caballero doubled home a pair of runs as the Yankees opened a 5-0 lead in the second inning.

In his second trip to the plate, Caballero was a part of history.

New to MLB this season, each team has the ability to challenge at least two ball-strike calls per game. While umpires continue to make the majority of the calls, the Automated Ball-Strike system can be used to confirm or overturn those rulings when initiated by the batter, pitcher or catcher.

Teams combined for an average of 4.3 challenges per game during spring training. The Giants were among the best in the majors, thanks to Patrick Bailey’s ability behind the plate.

Even with Bailey’s prowess, the Giants weren’t aggressive in deploying their challenges.

In his first at-bat, Bailey was called out on a pitch that was off the plate inside. He opted to walk back to the dugout rather than risk a challenge.

While teams start with two challenges, they only lose them when they are unsuccessful. Catchers were more likely to issue challenges than hitters or pitchers in spring.

TAMPA — Luis Gil’s dominant final start of the spring was still not enough to lock up a spot in the Yankees four-man rotation to begin the season.

Now the question is whether he will open the year in the bullpen or the minors until the Yankees need a fifth starter in early April.

With four off-days in the first 13 days of the season, the Yankees are going with a four-man rotation to begin the year so their starters are not going too long between starts over the first two weeks.

Max Fried will start the opener against the Giants on Wednesday, followed, after a day off, by Cam Schlittler, Will Warren and Ryan Weathers.

That leaves Gil as the odd man out following a camp in which his stuff was lacking before turning it on Friday night in a throwback performance against the Orioles.

“We’re working through that — do we want him to start a couple [in the minors] and then pop him in the rotation?” Aaron Boone said Sunday after a 4-0 win over the Phillies at Steinbrenner Field. “Is there an avenue to do it a different way? That’s what we’re working through still.”

Gil will stay back in Tampa to throw live batting practice Wednesday to continue his buildup, making it more likely that the Yankees carry an extra reliever on their Opening Day roster.

The arms still vying for spots — with three up for grabs if Gil is optioned, two if he is not — are Rule 5 pick Cade Winquest, lefty Brent Headrick, Jake Bird and Osvaldo Bido.

Headrick and Bird have minor league options while Bido does not and the Yankees must carry Winquest on their roster or offer him back to the Cardinals.

The Yankees could use Gil out of the bullpen in a piggyback role to keep him built up, but they already have length options in Ryan Yarbrough and Paul Blackburn.

If Gil throws live batting practice Wednesday, he would likely be unavailable for all of the opening series against the Giants.

Otherwise, they do not need a fifth starter until April 11 and Gil would be eligible to be called up as early as April 9 if he is optioned.

“Obviously, he’d like to be a starter with us, so frustrating [for him],” pitching coach Matt Blake said. “But at the same time, he understands the position we’re in with the way the schedule lines up for the first two weeks in particular. Now it’s just a matter of making sure we do right by him and keep him in rhythm and find the best balance for the bullpen and our starting group.

“It’s not necessarily a specific decision around Luis.”

— Additional reporting by Jon Heyman